The smelly passenger, dubbed "Smellus Incredibilus," has soared up to be the number two most hated of air travelers in a new poll. This "hell" passenger comes in just behind those who recline their seat, affectionately known by us as "Reclinus Maximus."
According to the annual AirlineRatings.com "Passengers Who Make Your Flight Hell" survey of air travelers, almost 35.4 percent of the more than 1,550 respondents put the passenger who reclines their seat as their number one nightmare.
However, with 25.5 percent naming Smellus Maximus as the most despised, it raises the question, has hygiene slipped?
According to AirlineRatings.com editor, Geoffrey Thomas, while it was expected that Reclinus Maximus would rate highly, the level of frustration for the smelly passenger reflects a decline in hygiene standards.
"There has been a significant shift in passengers' gripes about their fellow travelers, who are either not conscious of their odor or don't care," said Thomas.
"With online or cell phone check-in now widespread, offending passengers are slipping through the traditional checks and only coming into contact with airline agents at the boarding gate. The agents, under pressure to get the flight away, sometimes let offenders slip through."
This year, two passengers made global headlines because of their odor and were kicked off planes in Canada and France. In the past month, three U.S. domestic flights have been diverted over arguments related to knee defenders, which prevent seats reclining.
Authorities in the U.S. have not banned knee defenders but have instead left it up to the airlines to regulate. However in Australia, both Qantas and Virgin Australia have banned these devices.
In the AirlineRatings.com survey, the parent who let their children run riot, "Parentus Slapdashi" came in third with 20.1 percent while fourth went to "Armrest Grabbis" at 13.5 per cent and the non-stop talker "Chatterbox Majorus" came in fifth with just 5.54 percent.
SOURCE: AirlineRatings.com press release
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